Foster's rule

American

[faw-sterz rool, fos-terz] / ˈfɔ stərz ˌrul, ˈfɒs tərz /

noun

Biology.

a theory asserting that members of a species will evolve into smaller or larger versions of themselves depending on available land area and resources as well as predator populations: Foster’s rule explains the phenomena of insular dwarfism and insular gigantism.

Etymology

Origin of Foster's rule

Named in 1964 after J. Bristol Foster (born 1936), Canadian biologist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Indonesia's island of Flores is a remarkable laboratory for the island effect, also called "Foster's rule," based on observations by mammalogist J. Bristol Foster in the 1960s.

From Reuters

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023